Live auction site in the works for Seventh Avenue

Published: Sunday, July 13, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 11, 2014 at 6:48 p.m.

Rob Hays is hoping to bring a live auction site to Hendersonville that is both reminiscent of old barn auction days, yet technology savvy, at a Seventh Avenue location that has long stood vacant.

Hays, co-owner of Southern Trust Estate and Auction Company, is a Hendersonville-based auctioneer, auction broker and appraiser whose site plan for the three buildings at 1050 Seventh Avenue are pending Hendersonville Planning Board approval.

Due to the size of the project — the three buildings total 30,000 square feet — the plan has two phases.

The first phase, which has already been approved by the Planning Board, concerns the metal building on the property, which Hays wants to convert into an auction house. He said the 6,000-square-foot facility would hold estate sales and business liquidation auctions, as well as live auctions two or three times a week.

“It’ll be kind of the old-timey-type auction that you used to see,” Hays said, describing the times when auctioneers would roll items into the room piece by piece, only to roll them back out once they’ve been sold.

The building has two big doors, which will allow for easy entrance and exit of items as large as tractors and titled vehicles waiting in the preview or staging area outside.

That preview area would consist of the existing metal, open-air frame that can be seen from Highway 64 and Jackson Park. Adjacent to the metal building, the 7,000-square-foot white block building would be converted into an open market of sorts, featuring “micro-stores” vendors can lease from Southern Trust Estate and Auction Company.

Hays explained that, unlike a consignment shop, micro-store lessees can sell their wares without the fear of their items being marked down over time, and are solely responsible for the product and upkeep of their stores.

The preview area and micro-stores building comprise the project’s second phase, which will be considered for approval Monday at a Planning Board meeting.

Hays said that a site with auctions and micro-stores would satisfy a larger market, catering to both those who enjoy the thrill and gamble of auction sales, and those who prefer shopping for items with clear sticker prices.

“We’re going to have a little something for everyone,” he added.

The site will be open to professional dealers with large lots, and individuals who may only have a few items to auction off.

“We have a lot of dealers just chomping at the bit for us to open,” said Hays. “I’ve got a couple storage and warehouse areas with stuff just waiting.”

Hays also plans to embrace and promote Henderson County’s agricultural history, offering local farmers the chance to buy or auction off farm equipment, and sell fresh local produce, meat and dairy.

“We’re starting to make an association with local growers and dairy farmers,” he said, adding that he’d love to hold “Amish auctions,” where farmers bring wagonload after wagonload into the auction area, and sell straight from the cart.

Hays and Miranda McCraw, co-owner of the company, are currently holding real estate auctions and brokering niche market auctions. But they’re eagerly hoping for the planning board’s approval of the Seventh Avenue project’s second phase.

Hays said it’s all or nothing – the project can’t continue with just the first phase’s approval.

The property’s current zoning, C3 Highway, allows for the intended uses, and Hays said he would be leasing the space from its current owner. Henderson County tax records list Quattlebaum Properties G LLC as the owner of the property, valued at $376,300.

Pending second-phase approval, Hays said he’d like to have the first auction held in the new space by early fall, with the building of micro-stores ready by November for the seasonal and holiday sales.

“I think a lot of people (would be) excited to see something happen with that piece of property,” he said.

<p>Rob Hays is hoping to bring a live auction site to Hendersonville that is both reminiscent of old barn auction days, yet technology savvy, at a Seventh Avenue location that has long stood vacant.</p><p>Hays, co-owner of Southern Trust Estate and Auction Company, is a Hendersonville-based auctioneer, auction broker and appraiser whose site plan for the three buildings at 1050 Seventh Avenue are pending Hendersonville Planning Board approval.</p><p>Due to the size of the project — the three buildings total 30,000 square feet — the plan has two phases. </p><p>The first phase, which has already been approved by the Planning Board, concerns the metal building on the property, which Hays wants to convert into an auction house. He said the 6,000-square-foot facility would hold estate sales and business liquidation auctions, as well as live auctions two or three times a week.</p><p>“It'll be kind of the old-timey-type auction that you used to see,” Hays said, describing the times when auctioneers would roll items into the room piece by piece, only to roll them back out once they've been sold. </p><p>The building has two big doors, which will allow for easy entrance and exit of items as large as tractors and titled vehicles waiting in the preview or staging area outside.</p><p>That preview area would consist of the existing metal, open-air frame that can be seen from Highway 64 and Jackson Park. Adjacent to the metal building, the 7,000-square-foot white block building would be converted into an open market of sorts, featuring “micro-stores” vendors can lease from Southern Trust Estate and Auction Company.</p><p>Hays explained that, unlike a consignment shop, micro-store lessees can sell their wares without the fear of their items being marked down over time, and are solely responsible for the product and upkeep of their stores.</p><p>The preview area and micro-stores building comprise the project's second phase, which will be considered for approval Monday at a Planning Board meeting. </p><p>Hays said that a site with auctions and micro-stores would satisfy a larger market, catering to both those who enjoy the thrill and gamble of auction sales, and those who prefer shopping for items with clear sticker prices.</p><p>“We're going to have a little something for everyone,” he added. </p><p>The site will be open to professional dealers with large lots, and individuals who may only have a few items to auction off. </p><p>“We have a lot of dealers just chomping at the bit for us to open,” said Hays. “I've got a couple storage and warehouse areas with stuff just waiting.”</p><p>Hays also plans to embrace and promote Henderson County's agricultural history, offering local farmers the chance to buy or auction off farm equipment, and sell fresh local produce, meat and dairy.</p><p>“We're starting to make an association with local growers and dairy farmers,” he said, adding that he'd love to hold “Amish auctions,” where farmers bring wagonload after wagonload into the auction area, and sell straight from the cart.</p><p>Hays and Miranda McCraw, co-owner of the company, are currently holding real estate auctions and brokering niche market auctions. But they're eagerly hoping for the planning board's approval of the Seventh Avenue project's second phase. </p><p>Hays said it's all or nothing – the project can't continue with just the first phase's approval.</p><p>The property's current zoning, C3 Highway, allows for the intended uses, and Hays said he would be leasing the space from its current owner. Henderson County tax records list Quattlebaum Properties G LLC as the owner of the property, valued at $376,300.</p><p>Pending second-phase approval, Hays said he'd like to have the first auction held in the new space by early fall, with the building of micro-stores ready by November for the seasonal and holiday sales. </p><p>“I think a lot of people (would be) excited to see something happen with that piece of property,” he said. </p><p>Reach McGowan at molly.mcgowan@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7871.</p>